Perwfuf afldn-lock



(No Model.)

F. 0. RIOHARDS., PERMUTATION LOCK.

Patented Pen. 11, 1894.

0., WASHINGTON, D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICEQ FRANK o RICHARDS, or" FELIoITY, omo.

PERMUfATldN-LoCK.

srnorrrcn'rroit forming'pa'rt er Lettis ratent No. 530,551, dated December. 11, 1894.

ToaZZ whom it a /comm;

Be it known that I, FRANK C. Rmfir nosa citizen of the United States; and a resideut of Felicity, Glermont e unmstate of chroma-v6 invented certain new and: useful Improv ments in Permutation-Locks; and my pre fer-red manner of carrying out theinventionf is set forth in. the following full, clear, and

specific construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and seamen-area in the accompanying drawings;wh'erein-" Figure 1 is an elevation of thislock with its faceplate removed and theiboltwithdra wn so'that the device stands unlocked. 2is

an elevation of the" lock with only the rear end of ,the face plate removed so as toishow the bolt ashavihg been shot and tweet the. tumblers turned to prevent a retrograde movement. Fig. 31s a perspectived'etailof the parts (slightly saparatedyor thettunbl'er which I preferably use. i Fig. 4:- is alvertieal 1 section through the tumbler andthe two sides of the casing. uh

Be ferringto the said drawings, thenurneral 1 designates the rear plate and 2" the face a. plateof the casing, while 3are theedgeplates thereof and 4 are the screws which may hold the parts together but are preferably employed to'hold the lock on thedoor unless it is countersunk therein.

7 are screws preferably used to hold the plates 1 and 2 together; and 5 is thebolt which is provided with longitudinal slots 6 sliding over the screws 7 sofas to properly guide it,and having (preferably near its rear end)* a notch 8. h v; 1 a h p I hisa'oatch pivoted at 10 to the rear plate 1 and having a. tongue or tip 11 Working loosely in thenotclr 8, and the upper endof this catch has angularfaces" 12 berne; upon ith the ma ds-s r assem r n i f hth h sp'ring will bearonone of said faces when the I boltis in either of its extreme positions and ApplieationfiledFebruary 9,1894; Serial No. 499,659. dramas.)

will ride over the'angle between them during the movement of the bolt, the obj ect being to hold theboIt frictiona lly in either of its two positions as usuar. Ata out the center of the boltis formed a heart-shaped opening 14 surrounding a spindle 15 which receives the key whereby theboltcan bemoved as usual, and the construction of this spindle is preferably the sarneas thosedescribed below and indicated bythe numeral 25. I have shown the bolt as also provided with fourcurved recesses 16, although it will be understood that-there may be more or less of these recesses which are to receive the tumblers. a The numeral designates each tumbler which is shaped like a circular disk with a segment cut off on a. true chord 2'1, and through the center of this disk isahole 22 having slot 23' projecting radially there- [fronm Such of the tumblers as stand above the bolt are provided with rubber plugs 24: set intothe bodyof the tumblers and picjectingfromone face thereof so as to frictionally contact with the-inner surface of one of the plates 1 or 2the object being to prevent the weight of the heavier side of the tumbler from turning it automatically and undesirably, h p t h Throu rh the h'ole22is loosely passed aspindle 25 having reduced extremities 26 which are journ-aled in -corresponding 0penin'gs27 in the two plates 1 and 2; and said openings 27 I have a number of radial slots 28 indicated on 'the eirterioro'f thelock by letters,-figures,or scales 29. The slot30also extends longitude nally through the spindle" and bothits trunnions; completely bisecting" each trunniou and {extending from one side-ofthe spindle entirely through the body of-the sameto and excepting'that portion thereof opposite, which stands in the curved line of the spindles. Such is thepreferredconstruction of my tumblers; but at the lower side of Fig. 2 -I have shown a tumbler 20 having an integral hub 26 which'itself forms-the trunnions and is provided withthe slot 30 which is continued as at 23' outinto thebodyof the tumbler. This is but a cheap Way of constructing the tumtiers though Ieo-nsiderit inferior to my prerenew form for the" reasons described belbw.

The key hole 40 may beprovided'with several radial slots 48, though on the drawings I have shown but two. It will be understood that both face plates are provided with the holes or bearings 27 and 40 for the trunnions of the spindles, and both maybe provided with the radial slots and scales whereby the lock can be applied either face outward. These slots may be provided with teeth or may be struck on straight, curved, or broken lines, and the bit of the key correspondingly shaped so that only the proper key can be used. In fact, the slots could be so arranged that one key would operate the bolt and another key the tumblers, or even so that entirely difierent keys must be used in all the holes. All parts of the lock are of the desired sizes, shapes, materials, and proportions, and such changes may be made in the specific construction as come within the spirit of my invention. At this writing it occurs to me that coiled expansive springs might be substituted for the rubber plugs and that either might be inserted in the lowermost tumblers as well as in those above the bolt, as shown in the drawings; also that some other form of catch might be employed in connection with the tumblers, or some other means for shooting the bolt.

In operation, the parts standing as shown in Fig. 1 and it being desired to shoot the bolt, the tip of the proper key is inserted in the slotin the end of the key spindle 15 and the latter turned so that the bit of the key can be passed through one of the slots 48. The key is then pushed farther in and its bit passes into the heart-shaped opening 14, after which it is turned to shoot the bolt as usual and the catch 9 moves to the position shown in Fig. 2. The key is then withdrawn through the opposite opening 48, and the tip of this key or another inserted in the slot 30 in the trunnion 26 of one of the spindles 25. The spindle is then turned to the proper slot 28 as indi-' cated by the scale 29 so that the key can be pushed farther in and its bit will pass through this slot 28 and into the slot 23 in the tumbler. The key is then again turned so that the tumbler is carried around, for instance,

to one of the positions shown in Fig. 2, and

as long as its body stands within the recess 16 in the bolt, the latter cannot be retracted. The key is then withdrawn through one of the other slots 28 and the operator notes on the scale 29 which slot this is, and the spindle is then further turned so as to set its slot out of alignment with that in the tumbler, after which the key is entirely removed. The

other tumblers are then set in a similar man- 1, after which the key is removed and used on the other tumblers. When the latter have all lleen turned to the position shown in Fig. 1, the bolt is retracted and the lock is unlocked.

When the tumblers 20 are used, it will be obvious that the slot 30 in the spindle or hub 26 always registers with the slot 23' in the tumbler, and hence whenever this slot 30 registers with one of those, 28, in the face plate of the lock, the key can be insertedand its bit will pass clear through into the tumbler. Therefore the simpler form above described is not so effective as the preferred form; and furthermore, since the hub is integral with the tumbler, any tool which will turn the hub can be used to turn the tumbler, and therefore a lock of this character could be more easily picked than if the spindles and tumblers were disconnected. WVith my preferred form of tumblerit will be necessary to unlock the lock to know with respect to each tumbler, first where to turn the spindle so as to cause its slot to register with that in the tumbler, and then where to turn the tumbler so as to cause itschord to stand adjacent the bolt.

With a look as illustrated and having four tumblers with five slots for each and independent spindles, this will give a great variety of combinations and will require that exactly the proper one be known in order to unlock the lock.

lVhat is claimed as new is 1. In a lock, the combination with a bolt having a number of recesses in its edge, and means for operating it; of a circular tumbler fitting each recess and having cut away a segment of the size of said recess, means for turning the tumblers independently, and a rubber plug inserted in certain of the tumblers and bearing frictionally against the inner face of one of the face plates of the lock, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a lock, the combination with a bolt having a number of recesses in its edge, and means for operating it; of a circular tumbler fitting each recess and having cut away a segment of the size of said recess, a rubber plug inserted in certain of the tumblers and bearing frictionally against the inner face of one of the face plates of the lock, and trunnions on each tumbler journaled in said face plates, the trunnion and tumbler beingslotted radially and one face plate being provided around the bearing for the trunnion with a number of radial slots marked with a scale, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a lock, the combination with a bolt having a number of recesses in its edge, and means for operating it; of a circular tumbler fitting each recess and having cut away a segment of the size of said recess, and trunnions on each tumbler journaled in said face plates, the trunnion and tumbler being slotted radially and both face plates being provided 5 having a number of recesses in its edge, and

means for operating it; of acircular tumbler fitting each recess and having cut away asegment of the size of said recess, the tumbler being provided with a central hole having a re radial slot, and a spindle journaled in said hole and having reduced trunnionsjournaled in the face plates, the spindle and its trunnions having a radial slot and one face plate having a number of radial slots around the I 5 journal for the trunnion, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a lock, the combination with a bolt having a number of recesses in its edge, and means for operating it; of a circular tumbler 2o fitting each recess and having cut away a segment of the size of said recess, a rubber plug inserted in certain of the tumblers and bearing frictionally against the inner face of one of the face plates of the lock, the tum- 2 5 bler being provided with a central hole having a radial slot, and a spindle journaled in said hole and having reduced trunnions journaled in the face plates, the spindle and its trunnions having a radial slot and both face 0. plates having a number of radial slots around the journal for the trunnion, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In alock, the combination with a bolt sliding in suitable guides and having aheart- 3 5 shaped opening, the edges of the bolt having recesses, and a radially slotted spindle journaled between the face plates within said opening, one of said face plates being pro-.

vided around said journalwith a number of radial slots; of a number of tumblers having trunnions also journaled in the face plates, the trunnions and tumblers being radially slotted and the face plates around said journals being also provided with a number of radial slots, scales around said slots, the tumblers being circular so as to fit in. said recessesin the bolt and having cut from one side a segment each of the size of its recess, and a catch forholding the bolt in one of two positions, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a lock, the combination with a bolt sliding in suitable guides and having recesses in its edges and a notch near its rear end, means for moving the bolt, and tumblers removably engaging said recesses; of a catch pivoted within the casing and having a tongue at one end engaging said notch and its other end provided with two flat faces standing at an angle with each other, and a spring bearing on one of said faces and adapted to ride over the angle when the bolt is moved, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature on this the 6th day of February, A. D. 1894.

FRANK O. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL F. KENNEDY, CHARLEY E. RICHARDS. 

